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Cogeco Inc.

1947

Henri Audet, who a decade later would found Cogeco Inc, first entered broadcasting when he joined the CBC, where he held increasingly responsible positions over the next ten years.

1957

In June, Henri Audet left the CBC, became President and Managing Director of Television St. Maurice Inc., and was awarded a licence by the CBC (then the body empowered to deal with applications for private broadcasting licences) to operate a television station in Trois Rivieres. The station was a private affiliate of the CBC French service, SRC, and its call letters were CKTM-TV. Later, Television St. Maurice Inc. would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Henri’s newly-created Cogeco Inc., which would eventually become a major holder of broadcasting and cable properties in Quebec.

1972

Cogeco Cable Inc. was formed, and started on the road that would make Cogeco owners of the second largest group of cable holdings in Ontario and Quebec before the end of the century.

1973

On August 3rd, the CRTC awarded Henri Audet’s Television St. Francois Inc. (another Cogeco group subsidiary) a licence for a new television station in Sherbrooke, Quebec, that would replace CHLT-TV as the private CBC affiliate in the market. Henri became Chairman and CEO of Cogeco Inc.

1974

The new Sherbrooke station began broadcasting on September 19th, with call letters CKSH-TV. To a significant degree the station was a satellite of CKTM-TV Trois Rivieres.

1981

After having worked for four years as an Engineering Project Manager for Bell Canada in the Montréal area, and then spending some time at CF Cable TV (formerly Cable T.V. Inc.) as Assistant to the Vice-President, Development, Louis Audet was named as director of national sales for CKTM-TV and CKSH-TV.

1984

Louis Audet was named as a Director of Cogeco Inc.

1985

On May 13th, Cogeco Inc., in partnership with Moffat Communications Ltd., appeared before the CRTC as one of two applicants for a new French language television network to operate in the Province of Quebec. They lost out to Réseau Quatre-Saisons Inc. It would be twelve years later that Cogeco would obtain part ownership of TQS.

1986

Television St. Maurice Inc launched another television station in Trois Rivieres, CKTM-TV, this one an affiliate of the new Television Quatre Saisons network (TVS).

1987

Cogeco purchased Stéréo Laval Inc. from Placements Roland Saucier Inc, gaining ownership and control of radio station CFGL-FM Laval, and CJMF.FM Quebec City from a group of owners headed by Michel Noel.

1988

Through their purchase of effective control of Radio Cote-Nord Inc, Cogeco added three new Quebec radio stations to their growing line-up: CHLC-AM and CKDO-FM Baie-Comeau and CFRP-AM Forestville.

Then Radio St-Hyacinthe (1978) Ltée was sold by Michel Chapdelaine, André Lagacé, Roger Duceppe and Richard Loiselle to Cogeco Inc. The purchase involved stations CKBS-AM and CFEI-FM in St-Hyacinthe.

1991

On April 10, the CRTC revoked the licence for CKBS-AM at Cogeco’s request, due to a poor financial situation. Cogeco Inc. said it had been unsuccessful in efforts to revive the AM station and would continue to serve the community through CFEI-FM. Cogeco also received approval to close CKDO-FM at Baie-Comeau. The CRTC expressed concern that the closures came less than three years after the stations had been purchased by Cogeco.

1992

Henri Audet’s various companies were merged into Cogeco Radio-Television Inc. Louis Audet became a Director of Cogeco Cable Inc.

1993

Henri Audet named his son Louis as Chief Executive Officer of Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Cable Inc, while remaining Chairman of both Boards.

1996

Henri Audet gave up his chairmanship of the Boards of Cogeco Inc and Cogeco Cable Inc. in favour of Louis, but remained Chairman Emeritus of each company, and continued to hold a 72% voting holding in Cogeco Inc.

1997

After several years of financial problems, control of the TQS network was transferred to a consortium that included Cogeco, Quebecor Inc., Cancom and a group of TQS affiliates. Cogeco would own 19.99% of TQS.

The consortium acquired ownership of television stations CFAP-TV Québec, CFJP-TV Montréal and CJPC-TV Rimouski and of the television network Télévision Quatre Saisons.

CKRS-TV became CKTV-TV on March 26. Repeater CKRS-TV-1 became CKTV-TV-1.

2001

Cogeco Radio Télévision Inc. sold 40% of CKTV-TV, CFRS-TV and several other stations to Bell Globemedia Inc. subsidiary CTV Inc. These stations would now operate under the TQS Inc. name.

On July 5, the CRTC approved the acquisition of Group Vidéotron Ltée by Quebecor inc., through its subsidiary Quebecor Média inc., but the acquisition was conditional on Quebecor selling off TQS to a third party.

On December 7, the CRTC approved the transfer of TQS to a company held by Cogeco inc. (60%) and Bell Globemedia inc. (40%). At the same time, the CRTC approved the transfer to TQS of the assets of the TV stations affiliated with the TQS network, and the transfer to the French language network of the CBC, Societé Radio-Canada, the assets of the SRC affiliates that were owned by Cogeco (namely, CFKM-TV and CKTM-TV Trois-Rivières, CFKS-TV and CKSH-TV Sherbrooke, CFRS-TV and CKTV-TV Chicoutimi/Jonquière and the transmitter CKTV-TV-1 Saint-Fulgence).

2002

On July 16th, the CRTC awarded to Cogeco a licence for a new Quebec FM station in Chaudiere/Apalaches. The new station’s call letters would be CJEC-FM and the station would be part of Cogeco’s growing Rhythm Network.

2003

On July 2nd, Cogeco was awarded a licence for a new French-language FM station in Sherbrooke, to operate on 93.7 MHz. There would be a rebroadcaster in Magog, on 98.1 MHz. The stations would join the Rhythm network. The call letters would be CFGE-FM.

Cogeco also had an application approved for a new Trois Rivieres station, to be identified as CJEB-FM, on 100.1 MHz.

CJEC-FM Chaudiere began testing in August, and went on the air before the year-end.

2004

CFGE-FM Sherbrooke went on the air on July 16th and CJEB-FM Trois Rivieres in September.

2006

On December 5th, at the age of 88, Henri Audet stepped down from the Board of Cogeco Cable Inc., and shortly afterward he also retired from the Board of Cogeco Inc.

2008

On March 11, the Superior Court of Quebec approved a buyout proposal for TQS made by Remstar Corporation, a Montreal company involved in the production and distribution of Québec and foreign films. Remstar’s proposal was the one that had been accepted by Cogeco and Bell-Globemedia shareholders, from amongst the three proposals that had been received from potential buyers.

On March 20, the CRTC authorized the temporary transfer of the management of TQS to Remstar Corporation, until September 20, 2008. Remstar was a company controlled by Julien and Maxime Rémillard.

On May 22, TQS creditors approved the plan put forward by Remstar. This arrangement was then approved by the Superior Court of Québec on June 4.

On June 26, the CRTC approved the sale of TQS to Remstar, but required the continuation of some news broadcasts on all the stations in the network, in Montreal, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.

On June 26, the CRTC also approved the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to acquire the assets of CKSH-TV Sherbrooke, CKTM-TV Trois-Rivières and CKTV-TV Saguenay and its transmitter CKTV-TV-1 Saint-Fulgence, from TQS Inc.

2010

On April 30th, Corus Entertainment Inc. announced that they had reached an agreement with Cogeco Inc. for Cogeco to purchase the Corus Quebec radio stations: CKOI-FM, CKAC-AM, CHMP-FM and CFQR-FM Montreal , CFOM-FM102.9 and CFEL-FM Quebec City, CJRC-FM Gatineau , CIME-FM St-Jérôme, CHLT-FM and CKOY-FM Sherbrooke, and CHLN-FM Trois Rivieres.

On November 4th, Rogers Communications Inc. raised its stake in Montreal-based Cogeco Cable Inc. and its parent Cogeco Inc. by paying out C$75 million. As a result, Rogers then held nearly 40 percent of the voting shares in its cable television rival, but Rogers strongly denied any plans to take control of Cogeco & its cable arm.

On December 17, the CRTC approved the transfer of various commercial radio programming undertakings from Corus Entertainment Inc. to Cogeco Inc. The Commission received an application by Corus Entertainment Inc., on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiaries 591991 B.C. Ltd. and Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc., to transfer their shares and effective control from Corus to Cogeco inc. or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Following the proposed transaction, effective control of 591991 B.C. and Metromedia would be exercised by Cogeco. As part of the deal, Cogeco committed to divesting itself of two stations in the Québec radio market, namely CJEC-FM and CFEL-FM.

On the same date, December 17th, the Commission approved the application by Cogeco, on behalf of corporations to be incorporated, for the transfer of the shares and effective control of BC Newco1, licensee of CFEL-FM Lévis/Québec, BC Newco2, licensee of CKOY-FM Sherbrooke and Diffusion Newco, licensee of CJEC-FM Québec, all of which were owned by Cogeco, to a trustee for a period of 12 months from the date of the decision. Fernand Belisle was named as the Trustee.

2011

On February 1st, CKOY-FM Sherbrooke moved from 104.5 to 107.7 MHz, becoming CJTS-FM. Cogeco would still sell off the 104.5 facility as required by the CRTC: however, it was no longer CKOY-FM but became CJTS-FM, with the "Souvenirs Garantis" (French) oldies format that had been on CHLT-FM (107.7). The 107.7 former CHLT-FM frequency would stay with Cogeco but it was now CKOY-FM, carrying a relay of CKOI-FM.

On November 30th, Cogeco announced the sale of CJEC-FM and CFEL-FM Quebec City to Leclerc Communication Inc. The sale of CJEC-FM and CFEL-FM came as the result of Cogeco Diffusion's commitment to the CRTC on the acquisition of the Québec radio stations of Corus Entertainment Inc., to divest itself of certain stations in order to comply with the common ownership policy in the Québec City and Sherbrooke markets. At the time, Cogeco Diffusion stated its commitment to selling stations CJEC-FM and CFEL-FM Québec City, and CJTS-FM Sherbrooke.

On December 6th 2011, Cogeco Diffusion announced the closing of Sherbrooke radio station CJTS-FM, effective at noon that day. No offer for CJTS-FM Sherbrooke that met the criteria set forth with the trustee and approved by the CRTC had been filed within the prescribed timeframe.

2018

On May 15, 2018, the Boards of Directors of Cogeco Inc. and of Cogeco Communications Inc announced that they had accepted Louis Audet’s recommendation to appoint Philippe Jetté to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of both public companies effective September 1st, 2018.

Philippe Jetté, an electrical engineer by training, had had a distinguished career with two large Canadian communications enterprises and led his own consultancy firm before joining Cogeco as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Strategy Officer in 2011, where he garnered a deep understanding of all the facets of Cogeco’s businesses. In 2015, Philippe Jetté agreed to take on the responsibility of President of Cogeco Peer 1.

Jan Peeters, currently Chairman of the Board of both companies, would become Lead Director, effective September 1st, 2018.

Louis Audet, President and Chief Executive Officer of both companies for the previous 25 years, would become Executive Chairman of the Board of both companies, effective September 1st, 2018.